The first assistant director is responsible for many things, contacting and hiring crew, renting or purchasing equipment, breaking down the script, and what I learnt from the class —— preparing a shooting schedule. I think it is a quite difficult job, in order to set the schedule, the first AD needs to communicate with the crew to understand how long they need to prepare. As Tom Reily mentions in ‘The Big Picture’, the schedule is probably planned two months ahead, which means lots of uncertainty exists in between.

The class and the reading evoke both my respect and fear to the role of the First AD, their workload seems to be massive, and requires organizing skills, time management, communication skills which I all lack of. If I can’t even get off my bed before 10am, how can I imagine myself in charge of schedules.

However, I don’t just get terrified by the duties of a First AD, I also intentionally do not want to be one. Because it also appears the First AD is not responsible for any artistic or creative work through the production, they facilitate the coverage yet they don’t answer how it’s covered. What’s more, with the uncertainty of what might happen on the day of shooting, a First AD must be flexible, and decisive, oversee the set while making last minute adjustment. I am a flexible person myself, but I prefer to describe myself as part of the uncertainty. Comparing with a First AD, I realize that I want to get involved in the creative part, and the creative minds often don’t follow plans.

In general, what I learnt about the First AD is when working with them, always appreciate the time and effort they put in the pre-production stage. When the shooting comes, trust the First Assistant Director and stick to their schedule as much as possible. But also keep in mind that, if anything goes not as planned, a good First AD will always have your back.